RenoJohn
Cognoscente Wild Wild West  ~Ride Report~
(2)
The Rally Pack

This was an amazing theme.  And the time, thought and energy invested into it's creation was quite evident.   Huge Kudos to Brian Roberts for the most fascinating Rally this rider has ever seen.    And, NO BASE ROUTE!  That is awesome, each rider would do their own route and THIS RIDER loves these kind of rallies.

To over-simplify the rally it went like this:

  • You'd earn and spend money. 
  • Some bonuses positive points (earn) 
  • Some bonuses were negative (spend) 
  • You want to earn as many points as possible, but you also want to spend an equal amount (or as close as possible). 
At the end of the rally you'd be penalized (taxed) on any earnings that were not spent.   Even bigger tax if you spent more than you earned.
 
  • So the goal was simple.  Earn a shitload of points, spend as close to that amount as possible.    This meant that negative value boni were just as important as the positive valued boni.


In the mix of fun were fascinating threads, both cumulative and progressive as well as a few combo bonuses made for as much brain melt in planning as a rider could possibly want.

And, the bonuses were interesting, straightforward and very well thought out.  And electronic waypoints were available  ...uhhh,  for a price of course!  ($20,000 penalty and they were yours for the asking!! ) Nothing came free in this Rally.   Obama was not your mama and re-distribution of wealth was not part of the scheme.

---->This was a not a rally for socialists, this was capitalism101.

THUMBS-UP on an AWESOME rally theme

Like many, I spent a fair amount of hours into the late evening putting a plan in place.   I felt pretty good about my plan, and my concerns were:  the heat, it would be over 100F for much of the rally, and the hours -this rally was 32hours and that is much tougher than 24.   MUCH tougher.
 
 

Rally Time

Morning came and I was a bit tired from not much sleep.  Reviewed my rally plan and found a big mistake.  Oooops!, made the correction and wondered if there were more.   I felt I had a good plan, and I had bought the waypoints as well.  I had sorted the bonuses in numeric value as well as point value so that I had quick-reference to make changes along the way.  This rally was complex and making changes adroitly while in motion might be important.

I was eager to get moving.   It was a staggered start, one rider released every minute.    I had earned rider #1 and was thrilled that I'd be the first one out.   Nothing worse than watching other riders take off while you have to wait.

I had an old "beater" helmet that I use to loan visiting riders ..but I brought it this trip because it was silver and reflective, not dark like my primary helmets, I knew i would be better in the hot sun.   I also brought some eye black which really did work better than I expected and will remain on my bike.


Let's roll!!   (picture stolen from Steve Hobart (clicky)


My first bonus stop was just a few hundred yards from Rally HQ's.    Stardust Ranch Whorehouse.

Mountain Meadows.   Kinda interesting bonus in that three bonuses in the EXACT location.    Two of these were hidden if folks didn't do their due diligence in the rally pack.  Two positive and one negative boni available within a few feet of each other.  This is one of three pictures I took at this bonus.


Valley of Fire Park ...Beehive formations.

I was getting what I needed and my pace was awesome, well above what I anticipated and that was good, I could grab a few extra things ...but even better, I could get out of the south before the heat got crazy -and make the checkpoint on the early side of the window!   I was thrilled at this point, things were really clicking.

 
An Amazing Story

The next 6 hours of this day will be six hours that I will never forget

Emotional roller-coaster -and that is to be expected when under the clock and mechanical issues.

But, not to be expected:  Two people that completely define generosity and decency.

 
Aprox 15miles east of Pahrump 
  • I started riding through a shower of hot green engine coolant ...my face shield and upper body instantly covered with the hot green.
  • Instantly saw it was coming up from the cowling.  Being the eternal optimist I hoped it was just a loose or broken radiator cap, perhaps a hose had failed.   There was no noise or impact that led me to believe it was something more.
  • There were no buildings around so I cut the throttle and slowly limped as far as I could get ...hoping to get to a house with a garden hose.
  • Well, I didn't quite make it ...when my temp gauge peg'd I cut the engine.   I saw a house a ways up and pushed my bike.   Saw they indeed had a hose, I then pushed my fat bike up the long thick gravel driveway.   (fuck me -this sucked)
  • I used their hose to cool down the bike, it was blistering hot at this point and steam prevailed.   Once I got the bike cooled I found what was likely the problem ...looked like a hole in the radiator, due to some damage.    Not good.
  • The two boys above had come to observe my dilemma and they were great kids. 
  • The radiator cap is not accessible on the FJR without removing some Tupperware, so I went to the puke tank and filled it up ....and then went for the old-skewl pressure test.    I cut the end off of the garden hose (yes I reimbursed them)  and I showed the older boy how to press it firmly into the puke-tank and how to hold it so pressure would build.  He did all that ... pressure built and then I would search for the leak.     He did good!
  • And  ...well it didn't take me but a nano-second to see what the issue was:
  • Fuck Me, this sucks.   Of course I thought about pepper or temp fixes ...but as big as this hole was, and well above 100F and much more heat in my future on this day,  I didn't think it a good idea to screw around with BS solutions.    And, as bad as Pahrump was, I could potentially temp fix this and then have worse failure in Crystal NV or some other godforsaken place and then really be cussing.
  • I was not about to give up, ...but I knew it was likely that my rally was over.
  • The owner of the house had a friend/neighbor with a truck ....and he came. 
  • They said a radiator shop 6miles away. 
  • (no matter where you are, or where you're going, everything in Pahrump is 6miles away LOL)
  • So we got the bike to the radiator shop and, of course, it was closed.   Saturday after all.   Fuck Me.
  • Millions of thoughts going through my head, but something told me this was the place to keep the bike for now.   I parked it by the front door and thanked the man for the lift to the shop.    I was a long ways (6miles) from Pahrump, --and wasn't sure what to do next.
  • Then a car drove up.   The owner of the shop "Frank" and his wife "Linda".   They, by great coincidence, were driving by and saw me in their shop's parking lot -and wanted to know what the heck we were doing there.
  • We chatted,  -and they are wonderful nice people and Frank said that after his early golf game he could likely open up the shop for me on Sunday (tomorrow) and fix my radiator.

Coincidence or Fate?
Frank happens to drive by his shop and sees me ...agrees to open his shop up the next day to fix my radiator.   Now I need to figure out how to get the radiator removed between now and then.
 
  • OK, so it seemed I could get the radiator fixed the next day.
  • So the next problem:   To remove the radiator, Tupperware etc must come off.   IT IS A ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS to remove the radiator on an FJR.  I had the necessary tools with me, but it wouldn't be fast or easy and it was baking hot at well over 105F
  • I hired a stranger to drive me around Pahrump.   I wanted to find a motorcycle shop or mechanic that could help with labor and tools and a place to do the work.    We went to a few shops, all closed ..
  • This Yamaha shop was open ...but no use.   No mechanics around and only a couple of kids working there.

No help here at the Yamaha dealership


...and then the phone rings.

It was Frank, from the radiator shop.  He says to me:
"My wife and I were thinking, we don't like to work on the sabbath, doing so goes against our beliefs.  (so i knew this meant Monday before I'd get my radiator fixed)  ....and it's not right to leave you in your situation ....SO, LET's DO IT NOW!!"

Uhhh, I couldn't believe what I had just heard ...Frank wants to start on the bike NOW!  ---->I grabbed my hired driver and said ....let's high-tail it back to the radiator shop, Frank will be there at 2:00p.

Amazing

Back at the shop .....hotter than hell now about 106F outside and much hotter inside his shop
 

.....Frank and I tear into the bike like nobody's business.    It was obvious watching Frank that he had come to break his ass to get me back on the road.
Frank has no experience wrenching on bikes, and the plastic on the FJR is a chinese puzzle.    Yet, Frank was going as fast if not faster than me!! ..and I know my way around the bike.    He's one damn good wrench, no doubt about it.

An employee of Frank's came a bit later ....Frank's wife had called him and suggested he help out


Plastic off  ...now time to remove radiator.
 


.....and now radiator off!!!
 


Quick clean-up of the radiator before the fix begins...


And now we get a better view of the problem ......A rock or something big/heavy had caused this damage.
 

And now time for Frank to work his magic:


 

Time for some soldering


 

Damage was worse than Frank originally thought

 
 


Frank is good .......and he buys his aluminum solder from a special source in Michigan, "not the crap most guys use" he tells me.
 


Submersion/pressure test ......and all is good!!   Tested to 25PSI
 


This is the finished result.  Not the prettiest, but it was a nasty wound.    This after much attention and solder by Frank.
 


Quick cool/down clean up
 

Now time to re-install the radiator and put the bike back together!
 


 


Radiator nearly back on!


Hotter than hell inside the shop, I went outside where it was only 106F to cool off  ...and I was puzzled by the music sign.
 


I wasn't puzzled by the bumper sticker on Frank's car.  (yep, we got along just fine!)

Uhh, this story only gets better.
We paused for some water and I asked Frank about the sign out front -"Does your wife teach music?" I asked.

"Yes", and with pride Frank led me to the other end of his shop ....where a thin wall of sheet rock divided the auto shop from a   Uhhhh,   a music studio .......

Amazing

And Frank gives me a tour of the studio, and with great admiration and pride he boasts of his wife Linda.


This is an album that Frank's wife did some years ago.   Every copy made was sold.


Frank loves his wife dearly and it shows.
 


Linda teaches and mentors many of the Pahrump kids on music here in her Studio.   
A thin wall of sheet rock separates it from the auto shop.
These two are a team, and salt of the earth.
 


Pictures of some of her students -and various recitals.


Great fun seeing how much effort Linda puts into her students ...and it seems the effort is reciprocated back.   Very touching.
 

This whole experience was inspirational beyond words, this studio and Frank's efforts to get me back on the road speak volume to the character that Frank and Linda hold.


 
 


Back to the bike ....plastic on, and now the final touches ....here putting in coolant.

Uhh, you won't believe this part.
Now, I know that I'll be paying dearly for this service.  The guy opens up for me, breaks his ass for me -does this on Saturday missing time with his family etc.  I have no other options.   This is the perfect "stick it to you" scenario that automotive shops dream about.

And as we we wrap up Frank says to me:
"I'm not going to charge you for this,  Linda and I were talking and it just wouldn't be right."

Of course I said no way ....but Frank insisted that he would not take any money.

------Knowing this could likely be the start of a stubborn stand-off .......

I went to the rear of my bike and grabbed one of the many 100.oo dollar bills from the whorehouse stash.

I held it toward Frank and said:  "Well, then:  At least take this and give it to your church.

With a smirk on his face,  Frank snatched the bill from my hand and said:  "Now the 7th Day Adventists are different, they never say no to money"

LOL  ....we both laughed and it was great fun and relieved the tension.    Frank then proceeded to tell me what good things the church was likely to do with the money. 

Amazing




 I took a picture of Frank's business card.   If ever in Pahrump, please look him up and say hello for me.   Truly the best.

 
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